Ambani flies to Qatar to meet Trump, second meeting since inauguration
Mr. Ambani will attend a state dinner that the Emir of Qatar is hosting for Mr. Trump at the Lusail Palace in Doha on Wednesday (May 14, 2025), sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.
Reliance Industries Ltd., the firm that Mr. Ambani heads, did not reply to an email sent for comments.
While business discussions are off the table, his oil-to-retail conglomerate has businesses closely tied to decisions of the U.S. President.
Reliance had last year secured waivers from the U.S. to resume importing crude oil from Venezuela. It however had to stop that in March following Mr. Trump authorising a 25% tariff on countries buying the South American country's oil.
Reliance also sells fuels like gasoline made from crude oil bought from countries such as Russia into the American market.
Also, U.S. tech giants such as Google and Meta have taken an equity stake in Mr. Ambani's digital venture.
Reliance has business ties with Qatar as well. The Gulf nation's sovereign wealth fund, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has invested about $1 billion in Mr. Ambani's retail venture.
Mr. Ambani and his wife Nita had attended Mr. Trump's second inauguration in January. They were also part of the select 100 who attended an intimate candlelit dinner with Mr. Trump a day prior to the inauguration.
'At the dinner, the two had met Vice-President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha as well,' sources said.
The Ambanis share close ties with the Trump family.
The richest Indian was present when Ivanka Trump, daughter of Donald Trump, visited Hyderabad for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in 2017. She was an advisor to President Trump then.
He was also present when Mr. Trump visited India last as the U.S. President in February 2020.
Ms. Ivanka, her husband Jared Kushner and their eldest daughter Arabella Rose were among the celebrities who attended the star-studded three-day pre-wedding celebrations of Mr. Ambani's youngest son Anant and fiancée Radhika Merchant in Jamnagar, Gujarat, in March 2024.
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